Closure for large diameter opening of a pressure vessel



June 4, 1968 M. w. I OVELESS 3,386,206

CLOSURE FOR LARGE DIAMETER OPENING OF A PRESSURE VESSEL Filed Feb. l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .IIIIHIINII'I Mull". lllllw I4 BY v/ 'lg' I l I -U-b ATTORNEYS June 4, 1968 M. w. Low-:LESS 3,336,206

CLOSURE FOR LARGE DIAMETER OPENINGvOF A PRESSURE VESSEL Filed Feb. l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MARION W. LOVELESS Hlp ,IILIIIIIHIW I4. y BY lg IIll| y ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oiiice Patented .lune 4, 1968 3,386,206 CLOSURE FOR LARGE DIAMETER IENING F A PRESSURE VESSEL Marion Walter Loveless, 419 S. Allegheny, Tulsa, Okla. 74112 Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,241 4 Claims. (Cl. 49221) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an improved closure for a large diameter opening of a pressure vessel. More particularly, the invention relates to a closure for a large diameter opening for a pressure vessel having a horizontal closure edge, the closure including spaced parallel horizontal guide rails adjacent and exterior of the opening, each of the guide rails having horizontal upper and lower runners, a lid horizontally movable relative to the opening to fully close the opening in one position and to fully expose the opening in another position, a pair of spaced horizontal shafts rotatably affixed to the upper surface of the lid, the end of each shaft extending between the upper and lower guide rail runners, rollers supported by each of the shafts at each outer end thereof, the rollers and shafts Ibeing eccentric relative to each other, and means of simultaneous rotation of each of the shafts for vertical displacement of the lid by eccentricity of the shafts and rollers.

In my copending application No. 338,706, entitled Canning Retort and filed I an. 20, 1964 issued as -United States Patent 3,235,103 on Feb. 14, 1966, I have described an improved canning retort or cooker for use in preparing canned foods, having provision for automatically receiving cans in an opening in the top thereof and, following a process of subjecting the cans to increased pressure and temperature, automatically discharging the cans from the bottom. This invention relates to an improved closure for the top of a pressurized vessel, particularly for a canning retort of the type described in the above mentioned application.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved closure for large diameter openings of pressurized vessels, such as canning retorts.

More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide a top closure for a pressurized vessel, such as a canning retort, including hydraulic means of moving the enclosure from opened to closed position and including hydraulic means of sealably closing the closure means against pressure within the vessel.

These and other objects will be understood and a better understanding of the invention had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an external side view of the upper portion of a canning retort showing the improved closure of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing the details of construction of the closure of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2 showing the details of const-ruction of the closure of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged segmented View showing portions of the enclosure in cross-section.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of FIGURE 4 showing the details of construction of the closure rollers, and showing the lid in closed position.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view as in FIGURE 5 showing the lid in open position.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURES l, 2 and 3, an upper portion of a pressure vessel 10 is shown which, for purposes of simplification, will be re ferred to as a canning retort, it being understood that the improved closure of this invention may be utilized 0u any type of pressurized vessel. An upper opening 11 of the vessel 10 is encompassed by an upstanding cylindrical collar portion 12 providing a flat horizontal seat 14. The closure member or lid 16, which resets upon 14 when in a closed position, is carried by spaced parallel guide rails 18. The guide rails are adjacent, above, and exterior of the collar 12 and each has upper runner 20 and a lower runner 22. Guide rails 18 are held in place by support members 24 which, as illustrated best in FIGURES 3 and 4, include horizontal portions 24A which extend over and stiffen the upper runners 22.

Lid 16 is in the form of a plate of suicient strength to detain the pressure to which the vessel will be applied and may be of any geometrical configuration which will fully cover the sealing surface 14 when the lid is in the seating position. Attached to the top of the lid 16 are two pairs of pillow blocks 26 (see FIGURES 2, 3 and 4). Each of the pillow blocks 26 includes an opening 28 which rotatably receives two spaced parallel shafts 30, each of which terminates at each end between the upper and lower runners 22 and each have rotatably aiiixed thereto rollers 32. The rollers 32 are of a diameter slightly less than the distance between the upper runner 20 and the lower runner 22 and function to carry the lid 16 as it is positioned relative to seat 14.

Each of the shafts 30 has an arm 34 extending radially therefrom. Connected between the upper ends of each of the arms 34 is a hydraulic sealing jack 36 by which the arms 34 may be pivoted and thereby shafts 30 rotated approximately degrees.

Extending upwardly from the top surface of lid 16 are brackets 38. Connected at one end to brackets 3S and at the other end to a support member 39 which is affixed to the spaced guide rails 18 is a hydraulic closing jack 40 by which the lid 16 is moved to opened or closed position relative to the seat 14.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, these partial crosssectional views show the construction of rollers 32. Each of the rollers includes an internal bearing portion 42 and an outer bearing portion 44 having bearings 46 therebetween. Bearings 46 may be of the ball, roller, or sleeve type. Each shaft 30 is affixed at each end eccentrically of the inner bearing portion 42 so that upon pivotation of the shaft 30 the elevation( thereof below upper runner 20 varies.

Operation FIGURE 2 shows the lid 16 in closed position. In such position, when it is desired to seal the vessel, sealing jack 36 is hydraulically actuated rotating the upper ends of the arms 34 towards each other thereby rotating shafts 30 approximately 90 degrees. This rotation is transmitted to the inner bearing portions 42 of each of the rollers 32 which moves the shafts downwardly relative to upper runners 20. This forces the lid 16 downwardly and into sealed position as shown in FIGURE 5. To unseal the lid 16 the hydraulic sealing jack 36 is operated in the opposite direction, rotating the shaft 32 and the eccentric portion of the rollers to the position shown in FIGURE 6. In this position the lid 16 is raised just sufliciently to clear the seating surface 14 of collar 12. In this raised position closing jack 40 (FIGURE 2) may be actuated, retracting the plunger 40A and pulling the entire lid 16 with it, The lid is transported by rollers 30 on lower runners 22. With jack shaft 40A completely withdrawn the lid is moved to the opened position to completely expose opening 11. When the invention is applied to a vcanning retort, cans may be freely deposited within the vessel through the opening 11 for processing.

To close opening 11 positioning jack 40 is first actuated, moving lid 16 back to the closed position shown in FIG- URE 2. Hydraulic sealing jack 36 may then be actuated, forcing the lid downwardly into sealed position.

Downward force applied against lid 16 is applied `by the shaft 30 and rollers 32 to the horizontal upper runners 20. The function of the supports 24, including horizontal portions 24A, is to reinforce runners 20 against this sealing force.

This invention provides an improved lid for a relatively large diameter opening of a pressure vessel in a manner wherein the entire opening, closing, sealing and unsealing of the lid is controlled hydraulically and in a simple, straight-forward and effective manner.

While the invention has been described with certain particularity, it is obvious that Imany changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit of invention, the scope of which is set forth in the clams.

What is claimed:

1. An improved closure for a large diameter opening of a pressure vessel, said opening having a horizontal circumferential sealing closure edge, comprising:

spaced paralleled horizontal guide rails adjacent, above and exterior of said opening, each of said guide rails having spaced paralleled horizontal upper and lower runners;

a lid horizontally movable relative to and parallel said opening to fully close said opening in one position and removable to another position to fully expose said opening;

a pair of spaced horizontal shafts rotatably aiiixed to the upper surface of said lid, the end of each of said shafts extending between said upper and lower guide rail runners;

rollers supported by each of said shafts at the outer ends thereof, said rollers having a diameter slightly less than the distance between said upper and lower runners, said rollers and said shafts being eccentric relative to each other; and

means of simultaneous rotation of each of said shafts for the vertical displacement of said lid by the eccentricity of said shafts and rollers, to move said lid in a lower position of sealed engagement with said vessel sealing edge and in an upper position of spaced relationship to said vessel sealing edge.

2. A pressure vessel closure according to claim 1 including means of hydraulically moving said lid between opened and closed positions.

3. A pressure vessel closure according to claim 1 wherein one of said shafts pivots in one direction to vertically displace said lid downwardly by the eccentricity thereof and the other of said shafts pivots in the opposite direction to vertically displace said lid downwardly and including an arm extending from each of said shafts intermediate the ends thereof and wherein said means of simultaneous rotation of said shafts inclu-des a hydraulic jack supported between the upper ends of said arms.

4. A pressure vessel closure according to claim 1 including a spaced pair of pillow blocks affixed to the upper surface of said lid rotatably supporting each of said shafts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,131,925 5/1964 Coats 49--216 3,165,226 1/1965 Files 220-41 3,240,382 3/ 1966 Files 2.20--41 DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

I. KARL BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

